Bar-cabinet for the preservation, refrigeration and distribution of alcoholic and unalcoholic drinks

ABSTRACT

A bar cabinet for the preservation, refrigeration and distribution of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages at different temperatures, including a refrigeration unit for the production of ice cubes, wherein the cooling at different temperatures of the various drinks or components to produce said drinks or for the preservation of foods usually taken with the different drinks is performed by the ice cubes which move only under the effect of the force of gravity along a predetermined path associated with guiding means adapted to control the ice cube movements and to let a part of said cubes stop near the zones or devices or goods which require additional cooling.

United States Patent [191 Wiesner Aug. 6, I974 BAR-CABINET FOR THE PRESERVATION, REFRIGERATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF ALCOHOLIC AND UNALCOl-IOLIC DRINKS [21] Appl. No.: 326,138

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 31, 1972 Italy 48044/72 [52] US. Cl 62/330, 62/338, 62/344, 222/146 C [51] Int. Cl. F25c 5/18 [58] Field of Search 62/344, 441, 330, 338; 222/146 C [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,984,059 5/1961 Hollingsworth 62/344 UX 3,196,625 7/1965 Nicolaus 62/344 X Primary Examiner-William E. Wayner Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Wigman & Cohen [5 7 ABSTRACT A bar cabinet for the preservation, refrigeration and distribution of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages at different temperatures, including a refrigeration unit for the production of ice cubes, wherein the cooling at different temperatures of the various drinks or components to produce said drinks or for the preservation of foods usually taken with the different drinks is performed by the ice cubes which move only under the effect of the force of gravity along a predetermined path associated with guiding means adapted to control the ice cube movements and to let a part of said cubes stop near the zones or devices or goods which require additional cooling.

8 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures BAR-CABINET FOR THE PRESERVATION, REFRIGERATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF ALCOHOLIC AND UNALCOHOLIC DRINKS The present invention relates to a bar cabinet, wherein can be cold stored and from which can be readily taken out alcoholic and super-alcoholic drinks which are appropriately housed in a refrigerated room, and carbonated or non-carbonated drinks which can be extemporaneously obtained by duly mixing the components thereof, i.e., syrups, carbonated and noncarbonated water and which will be prepared at the same delivery instant, as well as small ice cubes, which are drawn from an ice reserve and which is automatically renewed along with other foods, such as olives, rounds of lemon and the like which also are stored at their optimal temperature.

The bar-cabinet of this invention includes a compact operative unit which extends in vertical direction and wherein small ice cubes are produced which are then guided under the effect of gravity to travel along a predetermined path which is so arranged as to enable that the cold produced by said ice performs the refrigeration of the rooms, devices and foods at their best temperature conditions without requiring any other refrigerating means, fans and the like, the remaining ice cubes being available for direct consumption.

In addition said bar cabinet occupies a very reduced space in plan so that it can be located in rooms of small size, as drawing rooms, offices and the like in order one is enabled to offer cooled alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to the guests with a very wide choice possibility.

The bar cabinet of this invention also provides a wide shelf, where glasses, small dishes and the like can be placed. It can also include a small casing or cabinet, if desired, arranged below said shelf, said small cabinet being cooled itself at the expense of said ice produced within the bar cabinet. Within said eventual lower cabinet can be stored a stock of bottles of drinking spirits or liquors, the syrup containers, the cylinders of carbon dioxide and the saturator of the water carbonator designed to produce carbonated water and other accessory goods.

Provision can be also made to arrange the bottles of the liquors and super-alcoholic drinks in a suitable manner and to provide said bottles with suitable metering devices so as to allow to draw pre-determined quantitles of liquids therefrom without being obliged to displace said containers.

The main characteristic of the bar cabinet of the invention resides in the fact that the same small ice cubes which are produced in a well known ice production unit are used for attaining an efficient refrigeration of the drinks and other foods and goods so as to ensure the most convenient temperatures for the preservation and distribution of each type of liquids or foods, using then the residual of ice for direct consumption.

Thus the refrigerating system is substantially carried out at ice expense, but this latter is used not only to per form a direct contact cooling of the goods and containers thereof, but also to produce a cold air current which is guided along a pre-determined path so as to to condition the temperature at the various portions of the bar cabinet.

It is known that in the public premises, as public houses, eating houses, hotels and the like provision has been already made to locate apparatus for the automatic ice production, as well as for the preparation in situ of carbonated drinks and for the refrigeration of drinks of every type and of foods and other goods. Said apparatus are usually constructed as separated units or at the most some of them have operative devices connected together, in consequence thereof said units occupy a considerable space also because it is necessary to provide space for the various connections for said operative devices, for housing more than one refrigerating box and or pumps, which are necessary for the displacements of the liquids or gas and also since other wide space is required in order to permit to carry out the manual displacements of the ice, containers and the like.

Up to now there has never has been suggested and disclosed any compact unit, wherein a single operating device can be used in order to accomplish different tasks, thus enabling to reduce to the minimum the operating members and at the same time to eliminate the mechanical or manual means necessary for the displacement of all the products or means which can be employed in a bar service. In said single and compact unit all the devices designed for the product distribution are located in a single centralized room which is rationally positioned in order to obtain an efficient operation.

The accompanying drawings sh-ow merely by way of indicative example an embodiment of the present in vention; in said drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical front view of the bar cabinet with portions of the front walls broken away to show some of the rooms on the back; and

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross section of said bar cabinet.

Now referring to the drawings it is to be noted that in the shown embodiment provision has been made that the bar cabinet is constituted of a casing substantially rectangular in plan and generally indicated 1, said casing extending in vertical direction and comprising walls formed by peripheral panels and by vertical and horizontal partitions 2 made of thermo-insulating material. In addition at 3 is indicated a vertical partition wall, made of a material having a good thermal conductivity.

The inner space of the bar cabinet is divided by partition walls into a plurality of rooms, i.e., a room 9 and a room positioned immediately below, which is divided by a vertical partition 2 into two sub-rooms 10 and 10a, the front sub-room 10a communicating with the room 9 placed over it. In the front of said rooms 9 and a removable wall 5 is provided which may be constituted of a louvre board or of a grille which has not be shown in FIG. 1.

Below the sub-room 10 there is a vertical room 11 which communicates with the room 10 and is accessible through a rear door 6. At the upper part before the room 11 there is another room l2 which is separated from the room 11 by the thermal conductive wall 3, the room 12 being designed to house bottles 13 containing alcoholic and super-alcoholic drinks and being closed in its front preferably by movable glazed door sashes l4. Underneath the room 12 the bar cabinet forms a wide niche or recess 18 which at its bottom is defined by a grating wall or shelf 15 designed to support dishes, glasses and the like and underneath said grating wall 15 a pan 15a is arranged provided to collect the draining off water or other liquids. Into said niche 18 which is separated from the room 11 by insulating wall portions 2, 2a project outwardly mixing taps 16 designed to distribute cooled drinks, while from its top project downwardly the metering-distributors 21 which are mounted on the openings of the bottles 13. In order to permit the access to the lower part of the room 11, the wall portion 2a of the wall 2 separating the niche 18 from the room 11 is preferably movable; for instance, it can be constituted by a centre hung plate rotating about a horizontal axis 19 so as to be moved up to the position shown in broken lines in FIG. 2 so as to permit the access to the room 11 placed on the back. Below the niche or recess 18 and in particular under its bottom wall 15, a another wide room 20 could be provided closed by at least one door 20a and designed to form a box container for the storage of stores, said room 20 communicating with the room 11 by means of an opening 43 which can be closed by at least one removable cover plate 22 when no utilisation is provided of said room 20 for the afore said or other intended purposes. On the cover plate 22 a pan 23 is mounted adapted to collect condensation water and eventual ice cubes.

At 24 is generally indicated the refrigeration unit, which is located in the room 9 and which cooperates with the apparatus for the ice production, generally indicated 25. The unit 24, 25 is of a known type and includes an inclined plate 26, forming a part of the bottom of the room 10 and housing a cooling coil so as to produce a ice plate block which then descends on a grating constituted of a net of electric resistors, which, as heated, are able to cause the division of the ice plate block into a plurality of small ice cubes which after being duly formed fall down across the said grating under the gravity effect.

Under said resistors 27 is arranged a conduit provided to guide the ice-cubes 30, said conduit occupying only a part of the cross area of the room 11 and being defined by walls 31 made of deadening material, as neoprene rubber, polyethylene and the like and which has the task to damp the noises due to the falling down of the ice cubes 30 and, at the same time, to promote the descent of the ice cubes along a predetermined path.

Said walls 31 are thus so shaped as to guide the ice cubes 30 according a predetermined slope so that they first approach the thermal conductive wall 3 dividing the rooms 12 and 11 from one another in order to maintain an optimal temperature in the room 12 for the conservation of the drinking spirits contained into the bottles 13, and then to guide said ice cubes towards the spot where they will be collected.

It is to be pointed out that the temperature of the room 12 is not kept too low; thus for maintaining such a temperature in said room 12 it is sufficient that heat exchange which takes place through the thermal conductive wall 3 against the rear surface of which pile up the ice cubes 30 and along which is formed and descends the water film clue to the ice melting.

Behind said wall 3 into the room 11, is mounted an inclined plate 32, which incorporates coils where circultae carbonized or non-carbonized water and optionally also circulate designed to form the cooled drinks, said coils being connected by flexible pipes 33 to the distributions taps 16, to which are also connected other flexible pipes 34 coming from the syrup containers 35, if necessary, as well as further other flexible pipes 28 connecting said taps 16 with the saturator 29. The containers 35 and the saturator 29 can be located adjacent or on the bottom of the room 11, but they could be also housed within the lower box casing 20 as this latter is provided as a lower part of the bar cabinet. They could be also positioned in any other convenient spot, also outside of the bar cabinet and also very distant therefrom, since it is not strictly necessary that these products are cooled.

Upon the inclined plate 32 are placed the coils and which has not be shown in detail, since it is known in the art, a device is provided adapted to distribute the ice cubes there upon. Said device comprises a series of substantially vertical walls 36 parallel to the axis of the length of the conduit 31 in this zone; said walls 36 are in adjacent and alternated pairs connected at their lower ends by transverse walls 37 so as to define upon the plate 32 longitudinal channels which are alternately open and closed. The closed channels 36, 37 are designed to collect and retain a quantity of ice cubes 30 which is sufficient for transmitting to the coils within said plate 32 the predetermined units of refrigeration, while the open channels allow that part of the produced ice cubes 30 to continue their travel along the lengths of the conduits 31 positioned below, said conduit lengths guiding said ice cubes to enter at the end at least one drawer 38 which projects beyond the rear wall surface 2 of the niche or recess 18, said drawer of drawers 38 being extractable through the wall 2 and the niche 18 so as to enable to take off the ice cubes 30.

Upstream of the plate 32 into the conduit 31 the sensitive member 39 of a thermostat is positioned so that as the ice collected into the conduit over the plate 32 attains the height of said member 39, the thermostat controls the stopping of the ice production unit. Below the drawer of drawers 38 are arranged one or more other drawers 40 which are protected against any water or ice cake falling down by shielding walls 41, said drawers 40 being designed to contain and preserve at the correct temperature various foods, as olives, rounds of lemon, candied cherries and the like which are usually taken together with the drinks. Preferably the walls of the drawers 38 and 40 and the wall 41 are made of transparent material so that as at least a lamp 42 is mounted over the drawers 38, this latter can light the contents of the drawers 38 and 40 and also said contents can be seen from the outside.

The bottles 13 of the alcoholic and super-alcoholic drinks, kept into the room 12, are carried in a turned over position by suitable supporting means not shown in the drawings and on the respective openings of said bottles 13 metering means 21 are mounted of well known type and which permit to distribute metered quantities of said drinks which can be predetermined and controllable, without requiring that their containers 13 must be taken out of said room 12, so that said containers 13 can be arranged closely near each other, in order to reduce to the minimum the space required for this room 12.

The ice produced by the unit 24 to 27 serves also to cool the air which laps said ice and which becomes therefore heavier so that it comes down under the effect of the gravity and passing near the sides and front of the walls 31 of the conduit along which descend the ice cubes 30, as well as along the wall 3 and within said conduit, said cooled air attains the bottom of the room 11, where it laps the saturator 29 of the carbonator and also the eventual other containers, as well as the drawers 40, optionally entering the room through the opening 43 until it reaches the bottom of this room following the path indicated by the arrows ad.

This air after having absorbed heat becomes lighter and forms a rising current indicated by arrows in dotted lines as and which gains the height of the plate 32 where the air cycle is ready for repetition.

The ice cubes 30 are carried around a path which is indicated by the arrows Fg, said ice serving in part for refrigerating the plate 32, in part being collected into the drawers 38, and the remaining part melts, during this melting heat being absorbed from the ambient in the inside of the bar-cabinet and from the foods and liquids located therein. Into the walls of the drawers 38, of course, holes are arranged for the discharge of the water formed by the melted ice, and other holes are provided to discharge water collected on the bottom of the small basin or pan 23 and of other collecting pans.

As has hereinbefore been stated, in the bar cabinet of this invention the products are housed in the most reduced space and at the most convenient temperature conditions, which are attained under a direct refrigerating effect due to the ice produced by the ice production apparatus and assisted by the indirect effect of the said ice which cools an air current, which co-operates in cooling the products.

I claim:

1. A bar cabinet for the preservation, refrigeration and distribution of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks at different temperatures, comprising a refrigeration unit for the production of ice cubes, a unit for the extemporaneous production of cooled carbonated or non-carbonated drinks and a room designed to house at the required temperature the products to be distributed, characterized by the fact that it comprises a casing the inner space of which is divided into a plurality of rooms by peripheral walls and by vertical and horizontal partitions and which includes thermal insulating material and in part are removable or movable, an upper room and a room positioned just below for housing a refrigeration unit for the production of ice cubes, while underneath the refrigeration unit where said ice cubes are formed and fall down a vertical room is pro vided for housing alcoholic drinks, and under said room for housing alcoholic drinks a wide recess or niche, arranged in said bar cabinet, from the rear wall of said niche distribution taps project forward, said distribution taps are connected to a unit for the production of the carbonated or non-carbonated drinks, in the said vertical rear room a conduit is provided, the upper entrance of which opens just below the zone where the ice cubes fall down from the ice production unit, said conduit being defined by walls made of deadening material, as rubber and the like, and being so shaped as to guide said ice cubes to descend and distribute along an inclined plate mounted behind the front wall of said vertical room and incorporating one coil into which passes carbonated or non-carbonated water and eventually syrups for the production of cooled nonalcoholic drinks, said coil or coils being connected to the respective mixing and distribution taps by means of flexible pipes, said plate being provided also with 6 means adapted to retain a part of the ice cubes and to allow that the remaining part continue their travel and are guided by the conduit walls of the remaininglength: of said conduit to fall into a drawer, which is inserted through the rear wall defining said niche, underneath said drawers provided to collect the ice cubes another drawer is provided, at the bottom of said vertical rear room are provided means for supporting syrup containers, a water carbonator including a saturator connected by flexible pipes to the said mixing and distribution taps.

2. Bar cabinet according to claim 1, wherein on the plate incorporating the cooling coil or coils is arranged a plurality of vertical walls parallel to the slope line of the said plate, at least a pair of :adjacentwalls being connected at their lower ends by a transverse wall so as to form at least one closed channel adapted to retain on said plate the quantity of ice cubes sufficient for the refrigeration of the liquids circulating into the coil or coils, and at least an open channel so dimensioned as to let pass the remaining part of said ice cubes, which have reached said plate.

3. A bar cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the conduit provided to convey the ice cubes occupies only a part of the cross area of said vertical rear room so as to define at both sides of said conduit passageways for air currents cooled passing in contact with the ice cubes, while another passageway is defined behind said conduit for the rinsing of said air, which is guided to arrive over said plate.

4. A bar cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the room arranged before the rear vertical room and upon the niche is provided by front openable door sashes, while its rear wall, separating said room from the vertical room, is made of heat conductive material, said room, accessible from the front of the bar cabinet, housing the alcoholic containers, carried in upturned position with their opening portions projecting through the ceiling of the niche and provided with distributors for metered quantities of said liquids.

5. A bar cabinet according to claim 1, wherein underneath the niche and the vertical rear room a casing is provided, forming a lower room for storing stores of the drinks, foods and goods, said lower room communicating with said vertical room by means of an opening arranged in the bottom of this vertical room and so proportionated as to enable the cooled air to enter this room and to come out therefrom, said opening being provided with removable covers made of thermal insulating material.

6. A bar cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the walls of the drawers and the shielding walls of the drawers designed to contain foods other than the ice are made of transparent material, and at least a light source is provided over the drawers placed in the uppermost position, so that the contents of all the drawers can be seen from the outside.

7. A compact bar cabinet comprising a. vertically disposed housing;

b. a plurality of compartments within said housing for storing beverages and including means for dispensing said beverages;

c. refrigeration means in an upper compartment for producing ice for cooling said compartments and said beverages contained therein;

d. conduit means for guiding said ice in a predetermined path downwardly using gravity for the purpose of contacting select compartments in heat exchange relationship;

7 8 e. a recess formed in said housing below said comg. partition means within said housing for directing partment housing said beverages and including diswarm air therein in heat exchange relationship with tribution taps for mixing and dispensing cooled carsaid downwardly moving ice. bonated or non-carbonated water with or without 8. The bar cabinet according to claim 7, including syrup; grating means in operable relationship with said refrigf. said recess including an openable drawer for storeration means for forming ice cubes positioned immeing said ice after said ice has completed its downdiately upstream of said conduit means. ward travel through said housing; and 

1. A bar cabinet for the preservation, refrigeration and distribution of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks at different temperatures, comprising a refrigeration unit for the production of ice cubes, a unit for the extemporaneous production of cooled carbonated or non-carbonated drinks and a room designed to house at the required temperature the products to be distributed, characterized by the fact that it comprises a casing the inner space of which is divided into a plurality of rooms by peripheral walls and by vertical and horizontal partitions and which includes thermal insulating material and in part are removable or movable, an upper room and a room positioned just below for housing a refrigeration unit for the production of ice cubes, while underneath the refrigeration unit where said ice cubes are formed and fall down a vertical room is provided for housing alcoholic drinks, and under said room for housing alcoholic drinks a wide recess or niche, arranged in said bar cabinet, from the rear wall of said niche distribution taps project forward, said distribution taps are connected to a unit for the production of the carbonated or non-carbonated drinks, in the said vertical rear room a conduit is provided, the upper entrance of which opens just below the zone where the ice cubes fall down from the ice production unit, said conduit being defined by walls made of deadening material, as rubber and the like, and being so shaped as to guide said ice cubes to descend and distribute along an inclined plate mounted behind the front wall of said vertical room and incorporating one coil into which passes carbonated or non-carbonated water and eventually syrups for the production of cooled non-alcoholic drinks, said coil or coils being connected to the respective mixing and distribution taps by means of flexible pipes, said plate being provided also with means adapted to retain a part of the ice cubes and to allow that the remaining part continue their travel and are guided by the conduit walls of the remaining length of said conduit to fall into a drawer, which is inserted through the rear wall defining said niche, underneath said drawers provided to collect the ice cubes another drawer is provided, at the bottom of said vertical rear room are provided means for supporting syrup containers, a water carbonator including a saturator connected by flexible pipes to the said mixing and distribution taps.
 2. Bar cabinet according to claim 1, wherein on the plate incorporating the cooling coil or coils is arranged a plurality of vertical walls parallel to the slope line of the said plate, at least a pair of adjacent walls being connected at their lower ends by a transverse wall so as to form at least one closed channel adapted to retain on said plate the quantity of ice cubes sufficient for the refrigeration of the liquids circulating into the coil or coils, and at least an open channel so dimensioned as to let pass the remaining part of said ice cubes, which have reached said plate.
 3. A bar cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the conduit provided to convey the ice cubes occupies only a part of the cross area of said vertical rear room so as to define at both sides of said conduit passageways for air currents cooled passing in contact with the ice cubes, while another passageway is defined behind said conduit for the rinsing of said air, which is guided to arrive over said plate.
 4. A bar cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the room arranged before the rear vertical room and upon the niche is provided by front openable door sashes, while its rear wall, separating said room from the vertical room, is made of heat conductive material, said room, accessible from the front of the bar cabiNet, housing the alcoholic containers, carried in upturned position with their opening portions projecting through the ceiling of the niche and provided with distributors for metered quantities of said liquids.
 5. A bar cabinet according to claim 1, wherein underneath the niche and the vertical rear room a casing is provided, forming a lower room for storing stores of the drinks, foods and goods, said lower room communicating with said vertical room by means of an opening arranged in the bottom of this vertical room and so proportionated as to enable the cooled air to enter this room and to come out therefrom, said opening being provided with removable covers made of thermal insulating material.
 6. A bar cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the walls of the drawers and the shielding walls of the drawers designed to contain foods other than the ice are made of transparent material, and at least a light source is provided over the drawers placed in the uppermost position, so that the contents of all the drawers can be seen from the outside.
 7. A compact bar cabinet comprising a. vertically disposed housing; b. a plurality of compartments within said housing for storing beverages and including means for dispensing said beverages; c. refrigeration means in an upper compartment for producing ice for cooling said compartments and said beverages contained therein; d. conduit means for guiding said ice in a predetermined path downwardly using gravity for the purpose of contacting select compartments in heat exchange relationship; e. a recess formed in said housing below said compartment housing said beverages and including distribution taps for mixing and dispensing cooled carbonated or non-carbonated water with or without syrup; f. said recess including an openable drawer for storing said ice after said ice has completed its downward travel through said housing; and g. partition means within said housing for directing warm air therein in heat exchange relationship with said downwardly moving ice.
 8. The bar cabinet according to claim 7, including grating means in operable relationship with said refrigeration means for forming ice cubes positioned immediately upstream of said conduit means. 